Boys Will Be Boys Part 5
by Lanie Sparks
Summary: Lee and Amanda's sons do some surprising things that threaten to tear the family apart.


There was an awkward silence at the dinner table. Lee kept looking at Amanda to gauge her emotional state. Jamie and Beth were exchanging nervous glance with each other. Amanda was watching Phillip like a hawk, while he wondered what was up with her. Joe looked at his boys and noticed how troubled they both seemed while the children were wondering why everyone was so quiet. Amanda finally got tired of it and decided to be the one to break the ice. 

"So, Phillip" she said hoping that she didn't sound too on edge. "What are you planning on doing now that you're done with Law School? I'm sure that there are a lot of firms out there that would love to have you." 

Phillip shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Um, well, I haven't actually decided what direction I'm going to take right now." How could he tell his mother what he really wanted to do. 

Joe decided to jump in. "You know, there's plenty of room for you at my law firm now. you could have a job there anytime you want it." 

Phillip rolled his eyes. He didn't need this pressure form both parents. "Thanks, Dad. I really appreciate it, but I would rather find a job on my own." 

"Well, You need to do something soon." Joe insisted. "It was ok to be lax about things when you were in school, but you're out now and you've got to start thinking about your future." 

"I am thinking about my future." 

Amanda glanced over at Matt and Jenny and noticed that they were fidgeting nervously. "Are you kids done eating?" 

"Yes." they both said. 

"Then why don't you go ahead and go up to your rooms and do your homework?" 

"We don't have any homework." Matt said. 

"Yeah, Summer vacation starts next week." Jenny reminded her. 

"Then you can go play or something." 

"Ok." the twins said as they walked toward the stairs. 

"Cam I be excused too?" Katie asked her parents. not wanting to be the only child with a bunch of grown-ups. 

"Sure." Carrie said. 

"Thank you." she said as she followed Matt and Jenny. 

Again there was an uncomfortable silence in the room. This time, Jamie was the one to break it. 

"Um...Mom...Dad...There's something Beth and I need to tell you." he said nervously. He looked at Beth for encouragement. She smiled and nodded her head, urging him to continue. 

Amanda sensed Jamie's hesitation. "What is it, Sweetheart." She asked with motherly concern. 

"Well, I...That is...we...uh..." He couldn't do it. He knew what they'd say. 

Beth decided to rescue him. "Jamie asked me to marry him. We want to get married before the end of the summer so we can be settled somewhere before he starts medical school in the fall." She blurted out. 

"Are you both completely crazy!" Joe shouted. 

"Joe, calm down." Carrie said soothingly. 

"How am I supposed to react when both of my sons are wasting their lives!" 

Amanda was stunned. She'd never seen Joe like this. "How can you say that they're wasting their lives? Jamie has a full scholarship to medical school and Phillip just finished a law degree. What more do you expect from them?" 

Joe took a deep breath and realized she was right. "I'm sorry. I'm just worried about you. You have a great opportunity and I don't want you throwing away your chances." 

"What's wrong with wanting to get married?" Jamie asked. "Beth and I love each other very much." 

"I know that, but why now? Why can't it wait until you've finished medical school?" 

Jamie looked away from his father. He didn't want to answer that particular question. "Why not now?" Amanda set out to rescue him. "I, for one, think it's wonderful news, Jamie. Congratulations." 

Joe turned to Amanda. "How can you say that? He's going to waste his life because he's young and impulsive!" 

"Look, I'm not being impulsive!" Jamie shouted. "I've given this a lot of thought and it's the right thing to do." 

Lee was starting to comprehend what was really happening. "what do you mean?" He asked. "Is there something you're not telling us?" 

Jamie looked at Beth, then back at his parents, then back at Beth. Beth sighed wearily. "We might as well tell them, they're going to figure it out anyway." 

Jamie nodded in agreement. He took a deep breath and prepared to explain. "The reason we don't want to wait is because...well...because....we can't...we...we..." 

"We're going to have a baby." Beth jumped in. 

The reaction was instantaneous. Joe's eyes flew wide open at this revelation. Lee nodded. He's suspected as much. Amanda started to get worried, and Carrie was trying to gauge her husband's reaction. Phillip breathed a sigh of relief. Jamie's news meant that he was off the hook for now. 

"I do not believe this! This is utterly insane! How do you think you're going to make it?" 

"Easy, Joe." Carrie warned, trying to calm him down. She knew that if he kept up this behavior, he was only going to alienate Jamie further. 

"Look, dad, we've got it all worked out. I've already checked into family housing at school. I've got a part-time job lined up and I've still got my scholarship." 

"Plus, I've already got a teaching job waiting for me when school starts." Beth added. 

"You think you've got it all figured out, don't you? Well, how do you think you're going to raise a family and still go to school? You haven't even started Med School yet." 

Jamie was getting angry. Normally, he was able to keep things to himself, but he'd had enough. "So what?" He said. "You and Mom got married before you started law school, then you had Phillip right after that." 

"And you see us as an example? We got divorced, remember?" 

"Yeah, well there's a difference, Dad. I don't plan on abandoning my family the way you did." Jamie countered icily. 

Amanda was shocked to find so much anger coming from her younger son. "Jamie, I think you're being unfair." 

Jamie turned on his mother. "Why are you always defending him? Doesn't it ever bother you that he left you behind to raise two kids on your own?" 

"Jamie, that's not really relevant to your situation." She said, avoiding his query. 

"You didn't answer my question, Mom." 

"Of course it bothered me. Why do you think we got divorced? But there is no point to going back and rehashing all of that. Your father and I both know why we got divorced. What's more important right now is you and your future." 

"Jamie..." Joe said, trying to get his son's attention. Jamie turned and gave him an icy glare." Jamie, I just don't want you to throw away this tremendous opportunity." 

"Since when do you care about my life? You were never there for me when I really needed you!" 

Lee felt the need to intervene. "Take it easy, Kiddo." He said, as he placed a hand on Jamie's shoulder. 

"Why should I? He doesn't care about me. You've been more of a father to me than he ever has!" 

Joe looked as if he'd been punched. " I don't know how you can say that. I love you boys." 

Phillip felt he'd been quiet long enough. "Jamie's right, Dad. You've only been there for us when it's convenient for you. Lee has been there for us a lot more than you have." Joe glared at Lee. "Thanks a lot, Stetson. I see you've finally turned my children against me." 

Lee glared right back at him. "First of all, I didn't do anything, Joe. You did it all on your own. And second, they aren't children anymore. They're men. They are responsible for their own actions. I think it's admirable that Jamie is trying to take care of his responsibility to his child and put the needs of that child before his own. That's something you never learned how to do. 

Joe was fuming. He didn't know what to say. He sat back in his chair and looked to Carrie for comfort. 

"Don't look at me," She said. "I agree with him." Joe looked utterly defeated. 

"Thanks, Lee." Jamie said, grateful for the support. 

"You're welcome." Lee replied. 

Matt, Jenny and Katie slipped quietly down the stairs, their curiosity getting the better of them. They crept to the dining room doors to listen to what was going on. 

"Now, Phillip." Lee said, trying to take the focus off of Jamie. "Isn't there something you want to tell us too?" 

"Me? No. I don't even have a girlfriend." He said, deliberately being obtuse. 

"I'm talking about your choice of careers, Chief." 

"I don't know what you mean." he said. 

"Do the words Station One mean anything to you?" 

Uh-oh Phillip thought. "How did you find out about it?" 

"It's a long story." Lee said. "I don't know where to start." 

"How about staring with telling them how we really met?' Amanda suggested. 

"Good idea." Lee said. 

An hour later, they were all still sitting at the table, dinner long forgotten. 

"Wow!" Phillip said. "You mean you've been keeping all this a secret for fifteen years?' 

"I want you to know that it wasn't easy." Amanda said. "I hated myself every time I had to lie to you, but it was for you own protection." 

"I understand that, Mom. It's a dangerous profession." 

Joe had been holding his tongue for as long as he could. "This is just great! Thanks a lot, Lee. You've not only turned my sons against me, but now Phillip wants to follow in your footsteps instead of mine." 

"This has nothing to do with Lee. I want to make a difference and I think I can do it better this way than being shut up in some stuffy old law firm." 

"I've had enough of this. Carrie, are you ready to go?" 

"You're not just going to leave things like this, are you?" she asked incredulously. 

"It's like Lee said. They're adults. They can do whatever they want and I have no control over that, but I don't have to watch them ruining their lives. Let's get Katie and go." They got up. The children at the door scrambled for the stairs. Joe and Carrie caught them before they got there. "Boy, you really start training spies young, now, don't you?' Joe said sarcastically. "Come on, Katie. We're going home." She walked toward them and the three of them left. Lee and Amanda walked toward the twins. 

"Why were you spying on us?" Lee asked. 

"It was Matt's idea." Jenny said accusingly. 

"We heard everybody yelling and we wanted to know what was going on." 

"I guess I can understand that, but I don't want it happening again." 

"I think it's time for the two of you to go to bed." Amanda said. "You've got school in the morning." "But, Mom. It's still early." 

"Well, then maybe you'll think about it next time before you start spying on people." 

" I'm sorry, Mom." 

"Me too." Jenny said as she went back up the stairs with Matt close behind her. Phillip, Beth and Jamie came out of the dining room. 

"Mom," Jamie said. "I need to get Beth home. She's got some stuff to do early in the morning." 

"Ok." She said. She walked over to Beth and hugged her. "Welcome to the family." she said warmly. "If you need anything at all, let me know. I want that grandchild of mine taken care of." Amanda was trying hard not to show how worried she really was. 

"Thanks, Mrs. Stetson. That means a lot." 

"Call me Amanda, ok. You're part of our family, now." 

"Thanks, Amanda." 

Beth and Jamie left. Lee sat down on the couch.and Amanda looked at Phillip. 

"Actually, I need to get going too." He said. 

"Ok. " Amanda said. "But don't forget, we need to sit down and talk about Station One before you get there." 

"I'll be back here tomorrow night." 

"Ok." She said. She hugged him tightly. She knew she was being overprotective, but she could help worrying about him. "I'll see you tomorrow." Amanda flopped down on the couch next to Lee and let out a frustrated sigh. 

"Hey, " he said. "Don't worry. It'll be ok." He put his arms around her and she snuggled up against him, somewhat comforted by his warm embrace. She just hoped he was right. 


End file.
